AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons announced today that the club has signed free agent forward Caron Butler to a contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The two-time NBA All-Star holds career averages of 15.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 33.8 minutes in 786 games with the Miami HEAT, L.A. Lakers, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks and Oklahoma City Thunder. Butler split time last season between Milwaukee and Oklahoma City, averaging 10.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 25.3 minutes in 56 games.
Butler has appeared in 65 postseason games during his 12-year career, averaging 11.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 31.4 minutes. He’s scored 20-plus points in a playoff game eight times, recorded 10-plus rebounds six times, has five career playoff double-doubles and was a part of the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 NBA Championship team despite not competing due to injury. During the 2013-14 playoffs with Oklahoma City, Butler averaged 6.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 23.3 minutes in 18 appearances. He scored a playoff-high-tying 15 points in the Thunder’s Game 7 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round (120-109), helping Oklahoma City advance to the Western Conference Semi-Finals.
A native of Racine, WI, Butler enjoyed his best years with the Washington Wizards (2005-10) where he averaged 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals in 310 games and was named to the 2007 and 2008 NBA All-Star teams. Butler was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week in January 2007, recorded three triple-doubles during the 2007-08 season and set a career-high with 40 points at Milwaukee (1/27/08). He also teamed with Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison to form the highest scoring trio in the NBA during the 2005-06 season (67.4 ppg). In 12 playoff games with the Wizards, he averaged 18.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.9 steals and 42.3 minutes.
As a rookie with the Miami HEAT during the 2002-03 season, Butler was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and won the Eastern Conference Rookie of Month award four times. He joined five other players – Tim Duncan (1997-98), Shaquille O’Neal (1992-93), David Robinson (1989-90), Ralph Sampson (1983-84) and Terry Cummings (1982-83) as the only players to win four-or-more Rookie of the Month honors in a single season since the award was established in 1981-82. Butler averaged 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 78 games during his first year while finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting behind Houston’s Yao Ming and winner Amar’e Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns.